Coupler assembly for davit-falls or the like



Dec. 31, 1957 R. N. COOK 2,818,297

' COUPLER ASSEMBLY FOR DAVIT-FALLS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 28, 1956 I 2 2 Sheets-Sheet I 6 INVENTOR.

JTTOZIVEYS.

Dec. 31, I957 R. N. COOK 2,318,297

COUPLER ASSEMBLY FOR'DAVIT-FALLS OR" THE LIKE 4 Filed Aug. 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4,

INVENTOR. 205527- N. COOK,

%%.ou; W $08M ATTOBNE Y5.

United States Patem F COUPLER ASSEMBLY FOR DAvIT-FALLs OR THE LIKE Robert N. Cook, Winthrop Harbor, Ill. Application August 28, 1956,Serial No. 606,623

4 Claims. (Cl. -294"84) This invention relates generally to releasable coupling means and is more particularly concerned with 'a coupler assembly including separable parts especially usable in the davit-falls of life-boats or the like.

When launching a life boat froma davit-fall aboard ship it is especially critical that both the stern and aftrportions of such a boat be substantially simultaneously released from the davit-fall in order to prevent accidental swamping of the boat, for example. Various means have been heretofore proposed for this purpose, however, oftentimes they involve the incorporation of spring urged latches, for example, which are subject to corrosion at sea, for example, and do not afford the operational characteristics desirable during an emergency, for example.

A primary object of invention is to ,provide a novel coupler incorporating in combination male and female coupling assemblies respectively securable to a tackleblock of a davit-fall and the connecting ring on the aft or stern portion of a life boat, said male and female coupling assemblies being detachably secured to each other by novel cooperating quick release engaging means.

A further object of invention in conformance with that set forth is to provide in a novel coupler of the character involved male and female coupling assemblies detachably secured to each other for supporting a life boat or the like from a davit-fall, the female coupling assembly incorporating a housing member including means securable to a tackle-block of 'a davit-fall and including a portion incorporating camming means and a transverse support portion 'removably receiving therein an intermediatel-y pivoted lever portion of the shank of the male coupling assembly which includes means for securement to the securing eye of the life boat disposed at the fore or aft portion thereof, and further including manually operable lever means on the housing member of the female coupling assembly engageable with the intermediately. pivoted lever means of the male coupling assembly for disposing the same in a position wherein said coupling assemblies may be readily and expeditiously separated.

And yet a further object of invention in conformance with that set forth is to provide a'nove'l coupler of the character involved which is readily and economically manufactured, easily used and maintained, and highly satisfactory, efiicient, utilitarian and acceptable for "the purpose intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will subsequently become-apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as snore fully hereinafter "do scribed and claimed, reference :beinghad to the accompanying drawing forming a part l'iereof, wherein like-numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the novel coupler of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the novel coupler assembly, on a reduced "scale;

Figure -3 is an exploded "elevational view =of the *novel coupler assembly of Figure 2,'showing the man n'er :in which the male and female coupling assemblies thereof Patented Dec. 31, 1957 may be separated when the lever means of the female coupling assembly is actuated in the manner indicated by the dotted arrow of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 4, showing in phantom lines the relative position of the male coupling assembly when disposed therein for supporting a life boat on a davit-fall, for example;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 7-7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of a fragmentary portion of a boat supported from the tackle-block of a davit-f'al-l wherein the novel coupler assembly of the invention is utilized.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and especially to Figure 8, a fragmentary portion of a life boat, for example, is indicated generally at 10, the stern portion 12 of said life boat having extending vertically therefrom an integral securing eye 14 of any conventional character. Depending from the suitably rigged tackle-block 16 of a davit-fall (not shown) is the coupler assembly of the invention indicated generally at 18, said coupler assembly including a male coupling assembly 20 and a female coupling assembly 22.

The female coupling assembly 22 incorporates a bellshaped housing member 24 incorporating at its upper end an integral longitudinally extending nipple element 26 suitably secured to a cooperating coupling element 28, see Figure 8, connected to the tackle-block 16. The housing member 24 incorporates a hollow interior as indicated at 30 terminating .in a lower outwardly flared skirt portion 32 for guidingly receiving the upper end of the male coupling assembly 20 therein as will subsequently become apparent.

The housing member 24 incorporates on opposite sides thereof,see Figure l, integral enlarged housing portions 34 and 36, defining within the compartment 30 adjacent the lower portion thereof a transverse recess portion 38, see Figure 5, which continues in an arcuate camming surface 40 extending toward the housing portion 36, the side portion of the housing 36 including :a transverse aperture 42 communicating with the transverse recess 38 and including on opposite sides thereof-exteriorly of the housing member 24 a pair of vertically extending support plates 44 and 46, see Figure l, for example, incorporating in their upper end aligned aperture portions receiving therethrough a support shaft 48, the purpose of which to subsequently be described in detail.

Integral with the housing member 24- and disposed on opposite sides of the lower open end thereof are abutmentor shoulder portions and 52 constituting the lower surface of the recess portion 38.

The support shaft 48 pivotally supports thereon an intermediately pivoted lever means indicated generally at 54 comprising an upper handle portion 56 disposed exteriorly of the housing member 24, and a lower abutment end portion 58 extendible into the recess portion 38 when the handle 56 is rotated in the direction shown by the solid arcuate arrow in Figure 5, for example. For thepurpose of facilitating the handling and manipulation of the female coupling assembly when attaching or separating the male coupling assembly therefrom, asuitable U-shaped shackle member 60 may have opposite leg portions 62 and 64 disposed on opposite sides of theirespective support plates 44 and 46 being pivotally carried thereon by means of a suitably secured transversesupport shafta66.

- lhemale coupling assembly 20comprises a solid body ially inverted and 72 suit- ;for receiving {8 extendible t 10, for exincorporates incorporating l 82, see Figof and being {sposecl pivot he shatt por- 38 disposable of the male secured mat- :ans of transshaft 86 to l 63. When e female cou- [ted lever 88 lly extending by means of tportion into j the rounded ate camming l transversely 1e male coulre 5, for exthis position l and 52 and site ends for It 10, for ex- :the direction trow of Figpf said lever ltermediately libly, accord- ;aligned posie and female is to be uniale coupling htially heavy ly, inasmuch jlst move uppusing memg assemblies l iof the novel corrosive effovel coupler lanism which ,1 of the coulive only of ce numerous ur to those the invention awn and deications and in the scope ans disposed ier on oppoportion terand lever member and lble into the l i I l internal transverse recess portion of said housing member; said male coupling assembly comprising a body member including means at one end for securement thereto of a connecting element, said body member including an elongated shank portion extendible into the throat portion of the housing member, said shank portion including an intermediately pivoted lever means on a transverse pivot axis thereon, said intermediately pivoted lever means being engageable with the internal camming surface when extended into the housing memher for pivoting said lever longitudinally into the transverse internal recess portion of said housing member for hanging the male coupling assembly on the female coupling assembly in supported relationship on the support portions, said lever being engageable with the lever means on the housing member for disposing the same in longitudinal alignment with the shank portion of the male coupling assembly for permitting separation between the male and female coupling assemblies.

2. A coupler for marine davits and the like comprising separable male and female coupling assemblies, the female coupling assembly including a housing member for securement thereto of a coupling element and including a downwardly opening portion for removably receiving a portion of the male coupling assembly therein, cam means in the housing member communicating with the downwardly opening portion thereof, support portions in the housing member transversely of the downwardly opening portion, lever means on the housing member extendible toward said support portions, the male coupling assembly including means for securement to a connecting element and further including a shank portion extendible into the downwardly opening portion of the housing member, said shank portion including a longitudinally alignable intermediately pivoted lever for engagement with the cam or lever means of the housing member for detachably securing the male and female coupling assemblies.

3. A coupler for marine davits and the like comprising separable male and female coupling assemblies, the female coupling assembly including a housing member for securement thereto of a coupling element and including a downwardly opening portion for removably receiving a portion of the male coupling assembly therein, cam means in the housing member communicating with the downwardly opening portion thereof, support portions in the housing member transversely of the downwardly opening portion, lever means on the housing member extendible toward said support portions, the male coupling assembly including means for securement to a connecting element and further including a shank portion extendible into'the downwardly opening portion of the housing member, said shank portion including a longitudinally alignable intermediately pivoted lever for engagement with the cam or lever means of the housing member for detachably securing the male and female coupling assemblies, the downwardly opening portion of the housing member terminating in a flared skirt guidingly receiving the shank portion of the male coupling assembly therein, said camming means comprising an arcuate camming surface extending laterally of the downwardly opening portion of the housing member, the support portions comprising lower surface portions of the transverse recess in the housing member and on opposite sides of the downwardly opening portion of said housing member.

4. A coupler-for marine davits and the like comprising separable male and female coupling assemblies, the female coupling assembly including a housing member for securement thereto of a coupling element and including a downwardly opening portion for removably receiving a portion of the male coupling assembly therein, cam means in the housing member communicating with the downwardly opening portion thereof, support portions in the housing member transversely of the downwardly opening portion, lever means on the housing member extendible toward said support portions, the male coupling assembly including means for securement to a connecting element and further including a shank portion extendible into the downwardly opening portion of the housing member, said shank portion including a longitudinally alignable intermediately pivoted lever for engagement with the cam or lever means of the housing member for detachably securing the male and female coupling assemblies, the downwardly opening portion of the housing member terminating in a flared skirt guidingly receiving the shank portion of the male coupling assembly therein, said camming means comprising an arcuate camming surface extending laterally of the downwardly opening portion of the housing member, the support portions comprising lower surface portions of the transverse recess in the housing member and on opposite sides of the downwardly opening portion of said housing member, said housing member including a transverse retcess opening into one side thereof in communication with References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 556,103 McGurty Mar. 10, 1896 1,027,481 Huff May 28, 1912 1,268,361 Klippert June 4, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,328 Great Britain of 1905 

